EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN OPISTHOBRANCHIA: ELYSIIDAE (SACOGLOSSA = ASCOGLOSSA)

An account is given of the elysiid sacoglossans collected ondiving expeditions to the eastern Mediterranean shores of Yugoslaviaand Greece during the period 1978–1986, supplemented bymaterial collected around Naples and some preserved specimensfrom other Mediterranean localities. In all, 6 species of Elysiaand 1 of Bosellia were investigated, including one new to science,E. gordanae from the Yugoslav Istrian Peninsula. The enigmaticElysia translucens Pruvot-Fol, 1957 was found in the easternbasin for the first time. The presence of the Bermudan, CanaryIslands and Jamaican E. flava Verrill, 1901 was confirmed inthe Greek Ionian and Aegean Seas, as well as in the Gulf ofCorinth. The geographical ranges of the other species were extendedby these collections from the eastern basin. The 7 elysiid specieswere illustrated from life and the radulae compared; great differencesin the size, shape and denticulation of the teeth of the differentspecies were evident (Received 8 May 1987;